No problem with using the dark dme for a starter. Just be sure to chill and decant the starter before pitching into your wort. This will keep the amount of dark color getting into your beer to a minimum. When you decant, just leave enough wort in the flask to be able to swirl the yeast into suspension.
And yes, Rogue does use the same strain for both fermenting and bottling. It is the Pacman strain you hear folks talking about.
An earlier post mentioned Palmer's book. You can read it online for free at www.howtobrew.com .
Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company
