[0] BRIEFLY : NHL LOOKS INTO ROY'S VENTURE.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy's reported involvement in a proposed gambling ship is under investigation by the NHL, but a casino official said no sports betting will be permitted aboard the ship.

Roy and his father Michael Roy were said to be among the investors in a planned floating casino that will be based in Miami.

``We are evaluating his involvement in the casino,'' NHL public relations director Arthur Pincus said.

NHL rules bar players from betting on sports, but the league has no problem with their involvement in gambling ventures.

``We don't have sports books on our ships,'' said John Thompson of GTL Securities, which is involved in the floating casino.

The ship is being built in Texas for $50 million and is expected to be ready for business next fall.

BOXING

Carlos Palomino, 47, back in the ring for the first time since 1979, stopped Ismael Diaz in eight rounds of their scheduled 10-round welterweight match at the Hollywood Paladium. Former welterweight champion Palomino retired on his 30th birthday, Aug. 10, 1979, with a 29-3 record and 18 knockouts.

In a heavyweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds, Gerrie Coetzee, 41, a former WBC champion from South Africa, stopped Dan Kosmicki at 2:02 of the third round. Coetzee retired with a 32-5-1 record and 20 knockouts.

Lupe Aquino, 33, the former WBC super welterweight champion, lost as he fought for the first time in four years. Aquino, who had a 51-8-2 record with 34 knockouts when he retired, lost a split 12-round decision to Eric Holland.

Former world heavyweight champion Buster Douglas won a unanimous decision over Rocky Pepeli in a 10-round bout in Montville, Conn.

TENNIS

Martina Hingis collected her third career singles title and further boosted her Australian Open prospects by beating Jennifer Capriati 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 at the Sydney International.

Hingis, 16, won the women's final in 84 minutes. Earlier, Tim Henman became the first British player since 1902 to win the men's singles title when he beat Spaniard Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-1.

BASEBALL

Three-time All-Star Darren Daulton says he has made good progress rehabilitating his injured right knee and believes he might be able to catch this year for the Philadelphia Phillies.

ETC.

The promising basketball future of a high school player is in doubt after he punched a referee who had ejected him from a game.

Philadelphia school district officials declined to name the player, saying he was a minor, but published reports identified him as 17-year-old Larry Nicholson, a 6-foot-4 senior forward at Murrell Dobbins Tech.

The referee Ron Palmer decided to press charges, and Nicholson was arrested

and charged with simple and aggravated assault and reckless endangerment after the incident. He was released into his father's custody.