Heart irregularity will keep Lemieux out indefinitely

PITTSBURGH -- Mario Lemieux will be out of the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup indefinitely and won't practice for 10 days to two weeks as doctors adjust the medication he began taking this month for an irregular heartbeat.

Lemieux's pulse began racing again Friday night during an overtime loss to Buffalo, his first game back after being hospitalized Dec. 7 with atrial fibrillation -- a fluttering in his heart that causes his pulse to dramatically speed at times.

Lemieux did not make the trip to Buffalo for the following day's game, and he met again Monday with his doctors to reevaluate his treatment. He was cleared to work out daily, but will be monitored at all times in case the problem flares up again.

General manager Craig Patrick promised that the 40-year-old owner-captain won't come back prematurely, as he may have done Friday after practicing for only one day.

There is no indication his latest medical problem will force Lemieux to retire for the second time in an oft-interrupted Hall of Fame career that began in 1984. But Patrick said that can't be ruled out.

"It all depends on his heart," Patrick said. "You don't know -- there might come a time when they say that but, at this point, nobody's said that."

Robinson resigns as coach

Larry Robinson, 54, resigned as coach of the New Jersey Devils on Monday because of stress and "horrible headaches," two days after his team lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said he will take over for Robinson on a temporary basis.

Robinson, a Hall of Fame defenseman who coached the Devils to the Stanley Cup championship in 2000, returned to the team in July.

New Jersey was 14-13-5 and fourth in the Atlantic Division.

Blues recall Divis

The St. Louis Blues, dealing with a goalie crunch, on Monday recalled Reinhard Divis from Peoria of the AHL.

The Blues put Patrick Lalime on waivers and then lost new starting goalie Curtis Sanford last week with a hip flexor injury. Lalime is rehabbing his game at Peoria.

Divis cleared re-entry waivers on Monday. The team had to recall Chris Beckford-Tseu from Alaska of the ECHL to be the backup in a loss to the Flyers on Saturday. Beckford-Tseu was assigned to Peoria.

Gretzky's mother dies

Phyllis Gretzky, the mother of hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, died Monday night, the Phoenix Coyotes said. She was 64.

She was diagnosed with lung cancer late in 2004 and died two nights after her son took an indefinite leave of absence as coach of the Coyotes to return home to Ontario to be with her.

-- From wire reports