BRIEFLY : EX-ISLANDERS OWNER PLEADS GUILTY TO FRAUD.

John Spano Jr., whose deal to buy the New York Islanders fell apart when he was unable to meet the payments, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Uniondale, N.Y., to criminal charges related to his efforts to purchase the NHL team.

Spano was accused of making fraudulent claims to obtain the $80 million loan from Fleet Bank that he used to buy the team in April. Spano also spent $400,000 of the team's money after fraudulently assuming ownership.

Spano quietly said ``yes'' when asked by the judge if he were guilty of each of the charges against him; two counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of bank fraud.

Spano could be sentenced from 51 to 63 months in prison. He can also be fined $250,000 for each wire and mail fraud charge. The bank fraud charge carries a $1 million fine.

Spano, who forfeited ownership of the team when he missed a payment, is to be sentenced in federal court in Uniondale in six to eight weeks.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Alexei Zhitnik signed a one-year contract with the team for $1.5 million, about $500,000 less than he was asking.

Calgary Flames defenseman Todd Simpson will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery today and could miss from a week to at least a month.

The Ottawa Senators and center Shaun Van Allen agreed to terms on a new multiyear contract. Van Allen, 30, appeared in 80 regular-season games with the Senators last season after being acquired from the Mighty Ducks.

BASKETBALL: The Chicago Bulls and forward Dennis Rodman agreed to a one-year contract with a base salary that is ``considerably more'' than $2.5 million. Rodman will sign the contract by the end of the week, said his agent, Dwight Manley.

The WNBA will extend its regular season and playoffs next season and add an All-Star Game in 1999, the league said.

GOLF: Jim Colbert, playing his first competitive round since surgery for prostate cancer in June, made three birdies and teamed with Nick Price and Kelly Robbins to win the Gillette Tour Challenge in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Robert Wernick of Rancho Mirage parred the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to capture the 20th annual SCGA Senior Amateur Championship at Saticoy Country Club in Somis. The 57-year-old Wernick fired his second consecutive round of 4-over-par 76 over the rugged, wind-swept course to finish at 152 before edging former champions Bud Bradley of Santa Monica and Paul Ladin of Westlake Village in the playoff.

HORSE RACING: Pulpit, an early favorite to win this year's Kentucky Derby, has been retired to stud following a training injury. Gus Koch, assistant manager at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., said the horse bruised his left front foot and was being retired because he would lose valuable training time.