Healthy Cammalleri Is Enjoying His Role

The long road, littered with detours and hazards, has finally hit a straight stretch for King forward Michael Cammalleri.

Knocked aside by a knee injury earlier this season -- a frustrating follow-up to last season’s injury woes -- Cammalleri was one of the Kings’ top players last week after being recalled from the minor leagues last Monday.

He had three points in three games last week, including two assists in the Kings’ 2-0 victory Saturday over the Colorado Avalanche, a refreshing twist for a player who sprained his knee in the exhibition season and was sent down to Manchester (N.H.) shortly after he regained his health.

“I wasn’t able to get much playing time up here,” Cammalleri said. “[King Coach] Andy [Murray] said go down there, get some games in and I’ll talk to you soon.”

Soon became real soon when center Derek Armstrong sustained a fractured finger Nov. 15 against the St. Louis Blues and was lost for at least six weeks.

The Kings, already without centers Jason Allison, suffering from whiplash, and Jozef Stumpel, because of a chest injury, called up Cammalleri two days later.

Cammalleri, 21, had a goal in his first game back against the Nashville Predators last Wednesday and earned Murray’s praise.

Against the Dallas Stars, he won 14 of 17 faceoffs and was active enough to earn an upgrade Saturday from the fourth line to Ziggy Palffy’s line.

The strategy worked: Cammalleri, Palffy and rookie Dustin Brown were the most productive line against the Avalanche.

“This is the role I wanted, to contribute here,” Cammalleri said. “It’s fun playing with great players. Ziggy’s unbelievable.”

The Kings’ second-round selection in the 2001 draft, Cammalleri had five goals in 28 games last season but sustained a concussion Jan. 28 at San Jose and sat out the rest of the season.

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The Kings are 3-0 in the second game of back-to-back situations.... The King penalty kill, buoyed by a 13-for-13 success rate last week, improved to 27th out of 30 teams after spending almost the entire season dead last in the category.

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New Jersey’s Scott Stevens is expected to tie the NHL record for regular-season games played by a defenseman in Tuesday’s game at Staples Center. Stevens would tie Larry Murphy with 1,615 games and could pass him Wednesday against the Mighty Ducks.