Gene J. Puskar, Post-Gazette Associated Press Mario Lemieux, on the bench with coach Eddie Olczyk and teammate Ryan Malone, is questionable for the game tonight against the Sabres. Click photo for larger image.

Mario Lemieux's status for the Penguins' game tonight against Buffalo changed for the better in a matter of hours yesterday.

Lemieux, who has been bothered by a stomach ailment, did not practice and was declared out for tonight by coach Eddie Olczyk shortly afterward. By yesterday evening, though, Lemieux was feeling better.

"We've put him up to questionable," Olczyk said. "He wants to skate [this morning] and see how he feels."

Lemieux sat out Nov. 14 with what was described as a stomach virus. He played the next three games, recording one assist, then was out of the lineup again Sunday in a 4-1 loss at Tampa Bay.

Lemieux, the team's captain and owner, declined to speak to reporters.

Asked if Lemieux's malady was the same stomach virus or perhaps the flu, Olczyk said, "I can't really confirm or not, but it's the same symptoms."

Olczyk believes Lemieux might have come back too fast initially and has had a relapse.

"I don't play a doctor on television, so I'm not going to pretend to be one here right now, but I just know that he had a stomach virus or flu symptoms last week," he said. "Sometimes those things stick with you. You try to work through them and when you play at the level that he tries to play at, sometimes you don't let yourself get completely healthy."

Precautionary measure

Sidney Crosby skipped practice as a precaution while he waits for a bone bruise on his left foot to heal.

He blocked a shot Friday against Florida, but was able to add padding to his skate and play Sunday in Tampa.

"I talked with the coach, and we thought it would be better to take the day off, give it a little break, make sure I'm ready for [tonight]," Crosby said.

Not much difference

Rookie defenseman Ryan Whitney began the season in the American Hockey League with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which has yet to lose. He has played 13 games since being promoted to the NHL, where the Penguins are struggling to win.

Still, he doesn't see a stark contrast in the atmosphere of the locker rooms. "It's not too much different here," he said. "Guys are trying to stay upbeat and positive here.

"Down there, when you're pretty much winning every game, it's obviously going to be a little better, but, hopefully, we can start winning here and have our own success."

Slap shots

In addition to Lemieux and Crosby, forwards Ziggy Palffy and John LeClair sat out practice, and Mark Recchi left after 10 minutes. Olczyk attributed that to illness, minor injury and rest. ... Crosby, who resides with the Lemieux family, said his teammate and boss is handling the Penguins' disappointing season "the same as everybody else. We all want to win." ... Olczyk promised some lineup changes -- again -- but would not give specifics. "There will be different people in, different people out, depending [in part] on health situations," he said. ... Buffalo's leading scorer, center Daniel Briere, is not expected to play because of an abdominal injury.