Colby Armstrong
Colby Armstrong was born in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, and played for the Red Deer Rebels for three seasons, putting up solid numbers. His best season in Red Deer came in 2000-2001 when he scored 78 points in 72 regular season games and 12 points in 21 playoff games. The next season saw Armstrong do a near repeat, finishing with 68 points in 64 regular season games and 16 points in 23 playoff games. He was drafted by the Penguins in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft as the 21st pick overall. Armstrong was then sent to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. While there, he put up reasonable numbers but was nowhere near as successful as he was in Red Deer. In the 2005–2006 season, he made his NHL debut and had a superb rookie campaign in which he played 47 games and finished with 40 points and was a team-high plus-15. Armstrong's explosive production slowed for his second season, as more of the focus on the team was on other players. He got less ice time and only notched 34 points in a full 80 games. Playing second fiddle to Sidney Crosby and other exciting rookies like Evgeni Malkin means that Armstrong needs to raise his game to get noticed. He'll likely fight for his spot, year after year, and will prove that he has the offensive tools to make it big. Armstrong is a reliable second-tier forward with heart and skill.
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