NBC goes for the ratings gold tonight with continuing Olympic coverage (7 p.m.). Two of the world’s top skaters are expected to square off in the Men’s Short program. Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko reigns as the 2001 World and European champion. Last year he beat out three-time World Champion and fellow Russian Alexei Yagudin for that top spot. America’s best hopes in this event are Timothy Goebel and veteran Todd Eldredge.

Tonight’s other big events include Freestyle Skiing Men’s Moguls. American Jonny Moseley hopes to return to Gold Medal form. Other highlights include Women’s Single competition in the Luge event, Ski Jumping and Speed Skating.

Madchen Amick guest stars on “Gilmore Girls” (7 p.m., WB) as Lorelai’s rival. She plays the new girlfriend of Rory’s father, Christopher (David Sutcliffe), who arrives in Stars Hollow with the express purpose of bonding with Rory. It should be interesting to see how the over-caffeinated Lorelai reacts to this emotional threat. TV veteran Amick has starred in shows including “Central Park West” and the 1998 remake of “Fantasy Island,” but she is best known for her turn on “Twin Peaks.” That murky fantasy seems to have launched more careers than “Star Search.” Other notable “Peaks” ingenues include Sherilyn Fenn (“Rude Awakening”), Lara Flynn Boyle (“The Practice”), Heather Graham (“Austin Powers”) and Miguel Ferrer (“Crossing Jordan”).

Just how does an ordinary boy next door from the Buckeye State become every parent’s rock-‘n’-roll nightmare? “Driven” (8 p.m., VH1) examines the teen-age years of Marilyn Manson, when he was just a girl-chasing, beer-drinking kid named Brian Warner growing up in Canton, Ohio. Plenty of home movie footage, still photos and interviews with friends and mentors.

Elsewhere on the WB, “Smallville” (8 p.m.) enters a new phase when Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) grows certain of Clark’s super powers and plans to blackmail him with the secret. This unhappy news coincides with a lightning strike that transfers those same powers to another Smallville teen (guest star Shawn Ashmore). A similar plot unfolds on “Roswell” (8 p.m., UPN), when Max, feeling overtaxed by life-saving deeds, feels his own vital force begin to ebb. The same could be said of the fading “Roswell.”

Tonight’s other highlights

Three reporters discuss terrorism and biological weapons on a repeat of “Nova” (7 p.m., PBS).

The “Best in Show” emerges as the 126th annual “Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show” (7 p.m., USA) concludes.

A wire-tapper (Gene Hackman) unravels when he learns that he may have abetted a murder plot in the 1974 drama “The Conversation” (7 p.m., AMC). A great cast includes John Cazale, Cindy Williams and Teri Garr. Look for Robert Duvall and Harrison Ford in cameos. Arguably the best conspiracy movie ever made. Francis Ford Coppola directed this gem between “The Godfather” and “The Godfather, Part II.”

Nick questions a teen-ager’s allegations of rape on a repeat of “The Guardian” (8 p.m., CBS).