The rapidly improving Pittsburgh Penguins, the second-place team in the Atlantic Division, today acquired veteran left wing Gary Roberts from the Florida Panthers for defenseman Noah Welch. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Roberts is a dynamic and physical player who will add to the Penguins' leadership and scoring. Roberts, 40, has 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 50 games with Florida this season. He ranked fourth on the Panthers with a plus-5 rating. In 19 NHL seasons, Roberts has posted 424 goals and 451 assists for 875 points in 1,137 games. He is plus-248 for his career. He has also sat for 2,467 penalty minutes. In Welch, the Panthers receive a 6-foot-4, 218 pound defenseman who was selected in the second round of the 2001 Entry Draft by the Penguins. He has a goal and an assist in 22 games for the Penguins this season.