SCOREBOARD

Armstrong responding big to increased offensive role

The Pittsburgh Penguins were hoping right winger Colby Armstrong would add a little offense to his game this season. After a slow start, Armstrong, selected 21st overall in 2001, took a big step in that direction Nov. 7 at Norfolk (AHL) with a career-high four points, including his first two goals of the season. “He’s been getting some chances with an increased role,” said assistant coach Mike Yeo. “He’s on the power play, killing penalties, playing the top two lines. He’s played strong defensively. We need him to do that and a little bit more.” Through 12 games, Armstrong was fifth on the team in scoring with two goals and eight points…Willie O’Ree, the first black player in NHL history and current director of youth development for NHL Diversity, visited…

Oliwa’s trip home to Poland brings back memories

Memories of his former life in Poland came flooding back to Krzysztof Oliwa when the New Jersey left winger returned to his hometown to skate with GKS Tychy. Oliwa, who has also worked out with the Polish national team, couldn’t help but recall the days he worked in a coal mine before coming to North America in 1992. “While driving to practice for the Polish national team every day I drove by the Piast coal mine, where I used to work three times a week for three years,” Oliwa said. A Devils’ draft pick in 1993, Oliwa returned to the Devils as a free agent this past summer after four years away. He’s hoping to help Poland qualify for the 2006 Olympics…Marc Cooper, a former part-owner of the Devils, was…

Gamache’s trio of titles proof of champion’s heart

Call him a work in progress, call him small, call him an NHL longshot if you want. But if you’re going to call him all that, you’d better also call him a winner. Milwaukee Admirals speedster center Simon Gamache has played on three championship teams in three leagues in the past four years. He won the Memorial Cup with the Quebec League’s Val d’Or Foreurs in 2000-01, followed that up with an ECHL championship with the Greenville Grrrowl in ‘01-02 and came back last year to capture an American League title with the Admirals. Thanks in part to Gamache’s contin-ued production he had a team-leading six goals and 11 points in nine games-the Admirals were off to a torrid 8-0-1-0 AHL start. Nashville acquired him from Atlanta last year along with Kirill Safronov for…