With all the injuries they've endured this season, the Penguins could be forgiven for believing there are three kinds of medical news: Bad, worse and catastrophic.

With not very much of the first.

But defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who hasn't played this season because of shoulder surgery, actually offered an encouraging, albeit somewhat vague, assessment of his condition after participating in a by-invitation-only game-day skate yesterday at Mellon Arena.

Gonchar declined to predict exactly when he might return to the lineup, but volunteered that "it might be sooner than we expected."

Before he returns, however, Gonchar said he hopes to at least reduce the pain in his shoulder, to get a bit more acclimated to contact and to regain some of the rhythm inevitably lost during an extended layoff.

"I have to get my timing back," he said. "When you're out of the game for five months, it's not that easy to jump in and be on the same page with guys who have been playing for five months."

Gonchar said he does not expect to be pain-free when he resumes playing but that "hopefully, it's not going to be major pain, or a major problem."

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Penguins' season will be too far gone by the time Gonchar returns for him to have a meaningful impact.

"I hope not," he said. "I don't think so. I just hope that when I come back, or even before I come back, that we can play better and put a few [victories] together and start a streak, turn this thing around."

Still a Steelers fan

Ryan Malone, who made his second appearance at Mellon Arena as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, is a Western Pennsylvania native and the first locally trained player to wear a Penguins sweater.

That guarantees him a place in regional sports lore and, even though Malone's ties to the Penguins were severed when he was traded to the Lightning in June, not all of his roots in this area were removed.

Which is why Malone -- accompanied by assorted family members and "probably 10 or 12" teammates -- made a point of being on hand Sunday for the Steelers' 27-23 victory against Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

"I don't think I would have gone if the Steelers weren't there," he said.

Malone acknowledged being a bit concerned when the Cardinals seized the lead late in the fourth quarter -- "I thought it might be a little more of a shellacking than it was," he said. "I got a little nervous" -- but noted the unofficial home-field advantage that seemed to work to the Steelers' benefit.

"There were so many Steelers fans there that it definitely felt like I was back home."

Fedotenko progressing

Penguins winger Ruslan Fedotenko broke his right hand Jan. 6 punching Atlanta's Colby Armstrong, and while he believes the injury is "progressing," he doesn't expect to play until he regains strength in it.

"Maybe I can shoot not too bad, but in the game, you need to battle, you need to shoot, you need to go stick-against-stick, he said. "And right now, I'm too weak to do that."

Highs and lows

Rick Tocchet, who played on the Penguins' second Stanley Cup team, coached his 36th game in the NHL last night, having replaced Barry Melrose behind the Tampa Bay bench Nov. 14.

Tocchet said the experience "has been great," but allowed that he is still learning to deal with the highs and lows of his new job, something he did quite effectively during his playing days.

"I'm getting better at that," he said. "Before, I'd ride the wave a little too much. You can't do that as a coach. You have to be even-keeled."

Slap shots

Penguins winger Miroslav Satan appeared in his 1,000th NHL game. ... In addition to Gonchar and Fedotenko, Satan, defenseman Philippe Boucher and backup goalie Mathieu Garon skated yesterday morning. ... Boucher, defenseman Alex Goligoski and forward Chris Minard were healthy scratches for the game. ... Steelers kicker Jeff Reed dropped the ceremonial first puck.