If you are a music major and will play piccolo in a good wind ensemble or orchestra, you might want to try out some instruments in addition to the Gemeinhardt and Armstrong. Those are not going to give you the best-quality sound. Ask your flute teacher at the college what other students are playing and what he/she recommends.
Try contacting some of the major flute dealers to see what USED wood piccolos they have in stock. Wood that has aged and been played for some years often has a better and more consistent sound than a brand new instrument.
For example, there are three used Zentner piccolos available at Weissman music:
http://www.vintageflutesandpiccolos.com/zentner.asp
<Added>Forgot to mention:
The major flute dealers will send you several piccolos to try out at home. Don't just limit yourself by relying on a local shop or on ads you've seen on the Internet.
Expect to pay at least $800 to $1,200 and more for a good-quality used wood piccolo (but not a Powell, Burkart custom, Brannen, or Keefe). It will be worth the extra cost.
Used Yamaha YPC-62 or YPC-81 piccolos will also likely be better than the Gemeinhardt and Armstrong that you've already found. Others include Burkart-Phelan Global, Emerson Boston Legacy, Zentner, and perhaps Gemeinhardt-Seaman.
Don't forget the very fine all-composite ("grenaditte" -- not wood) Pearl PFP 105 piccolo. It is under $1,000 new and plays just as nicely as wood. You can even find it on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-PFP105E-Piccolo-Flute/dp/B003KTDLZO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1307399184&sr=8-2
