PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday assigned forwards Brett Sterling, Chris Conner and Tim Wallace, defensemen Corey Potter and Steve Wagner and goaltender John Curry to their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm club.

All six must pass through waivers before they can join the AHL team.

Pittsburgh also assigned forwards Nick Johnson and Joe Vitale, defensemen Robert Bortuzzo and Brian Strait and goaltender Brad Thiessen to the AHL club in reducing its roster to 30 players.

The Penguins must make seven more roster moves before starting the season Oct. 7 against Philadelphia.

PITTSBURGH — One of the Pittsburgh Pirates' worst seasons in 50 years has guaranteed them the No. 1 pick in the June amateur draft.The Pirates, already assured of their first 100-loss season since 2001, cannot finish ahead of any other team in the overall standings. They last had the No. 1 pick in 2002, when they used it on right-hander Bryan Bullington. He did not win his first game in the majors until this season, while with Kansas City.

CONCORD, N.C. — An appeals committee denied Richard Childress Racing's request to have Clint Bowyer's championship-ending penalty reversed, and the team owner vowed to fight the decision to NASCAR's highest level.Richard Childress emerged from NASCAR's research and development center Wednesday after a nearly 5-hour hearing fighting the 150-point penalty levied against Bowyer after the car he drove to victory Sept. 19 at New Hampshire failed inspection.Childress said he made a formal request to appeal the decision to NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook, a former General Motors executive.