getting printer up and running

i'm trying to setup a nec superscript 870 on a parallel port with gentoo.

i've read through the gentoo printing and desktop docs, and some misc. 
material from linuxprinting.org.

my first problem is that i can't see /dev/lp0 or anything that resembles a 
printer. i've got parallel support compiled and loaded as a module. do i need 
to setup some sort of alias in /etc/modules.conf, if so what? 

next problem is software configuration for cups and the nec. reading through 
daniel robbin's devworks samba article, it looks as though the superscript 
should be configured as hp laser jet2 and as a raw printer device? i'm using 
cups, gimp-print-cups, and i'm configuring via kde's print manager

thanks,

kapil