Crosby, Armstrong make winning pair

The two rookies have been instrumental in Pittsburgh's two straight wins.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Sidney Crosby typically is among the last players to leave the ice after the Pittsburgh Penguins practice. But the Penguins' rookie is rarely alone when he heads to the locker room these days.
Fellow rookie Colby Armstrong stays out on the Mellon Arena ice passing and shooting with Crosby, and when they aren't working on hockey skills, they're often joking around and needling each other.
The two have been skating together on one of the Eastern Conference's hottest lines since the Olympic break, and they're proving compatible on and off the ice.
"He's a pretty great guy," Armstrong said of Crosby, the 18-year-old selected No. 1 overall in last year's draft. "He gets along pretty well with everyone on the team ... He's easygoing, good to joke around with, a fun guy who's fun to be around."
Combined for eight points
The two combined for eight points during the Penguins' recent two-game winning streak. The 23-year-old Armstrong has an eight-game point streak (five goals, seven assists). Crosby, who is second in the league in rookie scoring with 74 points, has 13 points in his last eight games.
"Right now, those two guys have great chemistry on the ice and off the ice," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said. "I'm happy with the way Colby's playing. He understands he needs to still be focusing on being Colby Armstrong. The danger with young players sometimes when they have success is they try to do too much. He's kept his focus and there's no doubt I'm not surprised with the way he is playing."
Since veteran Mark Recchi was traded March 9, Armstrong and Crosby have been on a line with Jani Rita, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in January. All three are former first-round picks, Armstrong by the Penguins in 2001; Rita by Edmonton in 1999.
"As we play more and practice more together, we're getting to know each other more all the time," Rita said. "Every day we get better."
Coming into the season, only Rita had played in the NHL, scoring three goals in 23 games. But as coach of the team with the worst record in the NHL, Therrien said he will continue to give quality ice time to young players.
Came from AHL
Armstrong played under Therrien with the AHL Penguins in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the last two-plus years, but even he didn't expect to contribute on the top line after making his NHL debut Dec. 29.
"I feel like I'm adapting well," Armstrong said. "It's not something I expected or thought would happen, but it's something I'm willing to work at, something I want to do. I just have to work my butt off every day in practice and in games, keep playing at the top of my game."
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