Colby the clown

Every class needs one - a clown, that is.

And so, too, does every hockey team; somebody who can lighten the mood in the dressing room during tough times and who routinely puts a smile on the faces of his teammates.

In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the class clown is none other than Colby Armstrong. The 29-year-old, who is in his seventh NHL season, gets his jokes off quicker than a Phil Kessel snap shot. Over the course of a long and stressful hockey season, that is important to team bonding.

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The problem is, since Armstrong signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Maple Leafs two years ago, he has spent a great deal of time injured. And when players are hurt and not playing, they rarely interact with their teammates. Last season, a variety of injuries limited Armstrong to only 50 games and already this year the 6-foot-2, 195-pound right winger has missed 23 games with a high ankle sprain. The injury occurred Oct. 19 in a game against the Winnipeg Jets and didn't return until Dec. 9.

On Wednesday, Armstrong limped off the ice at practice, but he is expected to play against the Sabres Friday night in Buffalo.

In the two games he has played since returning, Armstrong's playing time has been limited to an average of 11 minutes per game; down five minutes from the 16:07 he averaged last season. The Leafs are clearly breaking him in slowly. He has one assist, but it is not the points that make Armstrong such a valuable member of any team he has played on. It's his dogged determination on the ice and his witty charm off it.

"He can keep the dressing room loose," said winger Clarke MacArthur. "He's one of those guys who can knock the edge of jitters some guys have. He goes out and plays his steady game every night. There's a lot to learn from him."

MacArthur said nobody is safe from Armstrong's barbs.

"He works the room pretty good," MacArthur said. "He and Dion (Phaneuf) go at it pretty good sometimes. It's fun. It loosens things up. It can be a stressful environment in the dressing room at times so it's good to have somebody to take the edge off a little. You always miss a guy like that when he's hurt. Not just his carp off the ice, but his intensity and determination on the ice. His on-ice play is what is really missed. He's a steady guy that can always be counted on."

"He's an easy going, loose, fun person who's always chirping the guys," added defenceman Luke Schenn. "He lightens things up around the room, definitely at the best of times, but at the worst of times, too. You can't replace a guy like that in the dressing room. He's such a likeable guy that everybody misses him when he's hurt."

Following Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, Armstrong said he felt pretty good considering the length of time he was out. Still, Armstrong added there really is no substitution for game action when it comes to recovering conditioning and timing.

"You can bag skate, like I was doing, all you want, but until you get in there and start battling defencemen, doing that when you're a little tired with the puck, you don't get the same results," Armstrong said. "I was a little better than I thought I'd be right off the bat; I thought it would take a little while to get where I'm at."

When goalie James Reimer missed six weeks with a concussion, or whatever the Leafs want to call it, he said there was nothing he could do about the situation so he didn't worry about it. Armstrong said he is not quite as patient. He could not relax.

"I'm a head case; I have seven different kinds of doctors," Armstrong joked. "It is so tough sitting out. You are really separated from the team. I really enjoy being around the guys and being in the room, so there's nothing worse than when you are off to the side and not involved. You're on a totally different schedule. I couldn't wait to play again after my first game back. I am being given an opportunity to play with some pretty good players right now so I want to make the most of that."

As happy as Armstrong is to be playing again, his teammates are equally pleased that he back on the scene.

"He played the first few games for us and I don't think you realize how much he brings to the room until he's gone," added defenceman John-Michael Liles. "He's got that veteran presence. He's a vocal guy and now that he's back you realize how much you have missed him. He's quick-witted and he's got some pretty good jokes. He keeps guys smiling, but at the same time brings a lot of energy to the room and when you do that I think it translates into good play on the ice."

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy will cover the Toronto Maple Leafs for sportsnet.ca for the 2011/12 season.