PITTSBURGH —Michel Therrien's practice of rotating healthy forwards in and out of the lineup just might pay off.

The coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins has scratched a variety of players throughout the season, dressing 12 of his 14 healthy forwards.

With winger Nils Ekman out with an elbow injury, Therrien's will need all his healthy players.

"Every player you need, so when you end up losing one, it's always a big loss," Therrien said. "His loss will hurt us, no doubt. He's got some experience. But I can't, as a coach, concentrate on guys that are not playing. I have to concentrate on the players who are healthy enough to play and help us win games."

The Penguins have plenty of healthy players. Even after releasing John LeClair last month, Pittsburgh has exhibited depth at a forward position that only a year ago appeared to be a weakness. With the exception of stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, most of the other forwards are versatile enough to play a variety of roles.

"We've got a lot of talent in this room, all the way through the lineup" rookie Jordan Staal said. "That's what good teams have, and I think anybody can jump into any role."

Ekman injured his left elbow in Friday's 4-1 win over Toronto. He was to be evaluated Monday, but is expected to be out indefinitely.

Ronald Petrovicky and Chris Thorburn were healthy scratches Friday, and Therrien said one of them would take Ekman's place.

Pittsburgh has been carrying two extra healthy forwards for most of the past two months. Therrien said the team will not make a roster move to promote a forward from the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

"We've got some depth, not only with us, but we've got some in Wilkes-Barre," Therrien said. "I got to see them play over the Christmas break, and I liked what I saw."

Colby Armstrong is one of the best examples of the versatility of the forwards. A former first-round pick, Armstrong scored 16 goals in only 47 games last season. But he has also developed a reputation as a feisty, grinding player.

Armstrong has skated on the team's top line with Crosby and Malkin, has been on No. 2 and No. 3 lines and was placed on the fourth line Friday.

"I like to think I can play with anyone on the team," Armstrong said. "And I think I can contribute in any situation. Obviously, I'm not happy with my production this year and am frustrated with it. But I have to go work hard and grind it up, that's my game."

Only Armstrong and Mark Recchi have played in all 37 games this season among forwards, and seven forwards have been healthy scratches at some point. The Penguins see that as a positive; they have too many worthy forwards on a given night and someone has to sit.

"I think anybody can play on any night," Armstrong said. "It's the coach's decision on who's in and who's out. We know we have extra guys who are ready to go. No matter who plays, we have a chance of winning."