THE SIDELINES : Lemieux’s Back Injury Improves

PITTSBURGH —  An agent for Pittsburgh Penguins player Mario Lemieux says the star center’s injured back improved over the last week.

“There’s a great deal of encouragement about his overall condition and the likelihood he will not need surgery,” Tom Reich told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday.

Lemieux has been in Los Angeles since Feb. 17, undergoing therapy for a herniated disk and a secondary bone problem that forced him from the Penguins’ lineup. He was scheduled to begin light skating this week, but there still is no timetable for his return.

“Any timetable is strictly up to the doctors,” Reich said. “I can’t comment on anything to do with his playing capability or whether it’s possible for him to make it back for the playoffs. But this is the best he’s felt since he’s been out there.”