Pittsburgh Penguins: Defenseman Dick Tarnstrom avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a $2.5 million, two-year contract.

Tarnstrom, claimed off waivers last year from the New York Islanders, had seven goals and 34 assists in 61 games, even though his production fell off after he missed a month of the season with a broken foot.

The 28-year-old Tarnstrom made $475,000 last season, but will make $1.1 million this season and $1.4 million in 2004-05. He is the Penguins' highest-paid defenseman.

With the Penguins headed into next season with a smaller payroll than last season's, Tarnstrom's signing figures to be the Penguins' most expensive of the offseason. Tarnstrom was the only Penguins player to file for salary arbitration, and his hearing had been set for Saturday in Toronto.

The Penguins' eight remaining unrestricted free agents are forwards Milan Kraft, Toby Petersen, Rico Fata, Ramzi Abid and Matt Bradley and defensemen Rob Scuderi and Micki DuPont and goaltender Sebastien Caron.

Calgary Flames: The team added some toughness by signing well-traveled left wing Krzysztof Oliwa.

Terms were not disclosed.

An unrestricted free agent, Oliwa split last season between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, combining for one assist and 161 penalty minutes in 42 games.

"Signing Krys was important for us," Flames general manager and coach Brian Sutter said. "He provides our club with character and experience. At 30 years old, he also adds maturity and respect in a young dressing room."

The 6-5, 245-pound native of Poland has 14 goals, 27 assists and 1,120 penalty minutes in 324 games with New Jersey, Columbus, Pittsburgh, the Rangers and Boston.

Dallas Stars: The team signed defenseman John Erskine to a one-year deal.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Erskine appeared in 16 games last season, scoring two goals and being assessed 29 penalty minutes. He spent most of the year with minor-league Utah.

Erskine was drafted by Dallas in the second round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Philadelphia Flyers: The team re-signed right wing Justin Williams and left wing Radovan Somik.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Williams inked a one-year contract while Somik agreed to a two-year deal.

Williams, 21, had eight goals and 16 assists in 41 games last season, missing 36 contests following surgery to repair a partially torn left ACL. The 2000 first-round draft pick returned for the playoffs and totaled a goal and five assists in 12 games.

Somik, 26, joined Philadelphia in 2002-03 after eight seasons in Slovakia and the Czech Republic and totaled eight goals and 10 assists in 60 games as a rookie.

Florida Panthers: The team re-signed right wing Jaroslav Bednar to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

Bednar was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings with defenseman Andreas Lilja last November for defenseman Dmitry Yushkevich and a fifth-round draft pick. The 26-year-old Czech established career highs with five goals and 22 assists in 67 games, totaling five goals and 13 assists in 52 games after the trade.

A 2001 second-round draft pick, Bednar led the Finnish Elite League with 32 goals during the 2000-01 season. He has nine goals and 24 assists in 89 NHL games.