PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed defenseman Brooks Orpik to a two-year contract and picked up free agent defenseman Matt Carkner with a one-year deal, general manager Ray Shero has announced.

Orpik's arbitration hearing had been scheduled for tomorrow.

Orpik, 25, recorded 9 points (2 goals and 7 assists) and 124 penalty minutes in 64 games with the Penguins during the 2005-06 season, his second full NHL season. Orpik led the team in hits (203) and blocked shots (122) and improved his plus/minus by 33 points from his rookie season in 2003-04 (-36) to the 2005-06 season (-3).

The 6-2 and 228-pound native of San Francisco, California has played in 149 NHL games.

Orpik was drafted by the Penguins in the first round (18th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Free agent defensman Carkner, 25, set new career highs in goals (10), assists (21) and points (31), despite only playing in 69 games last season with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League. He also accumulated 202 penalty minutes.

The 6-4 and 235 pound defenseman has appeared in 315 games for the Barons since 2001, ranking first all-time on Cleveland's games played list and as the team's all-time leader in penalty minutes, with 948. He also scored 62 points (13 goals and 49 assists).

The native of Winchester, Ontario was originally selected in the second round (58th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. The San Jose Sharks signed Carkner as a free agent on June 7, 2001.