So the basic attitude instrument skills must be revisited often, and re-enforced by realistic simulator training scenarios requiring their use.
This is easily achieved by raw data circuits and landings and go-arounds in the simulator. Scan rate of the basic instrument panel increases as long as the pilot is permitted to fly raw data with autothrottles switched off.
That said, it is common to see (as the simulator instructor) children of the magenta line pilots going heads down before engine start into the PFM box dialing in the runway, and even way points around the circuit and even the destination. None of this info is needed to fly a simple circuit pattern. It is only a simulator, right? Yet we see pilots sneaking in a pitch bar on the FD to help maintain correct circuit height.
When told to switch off the pitch bar and simply fly the aeroplane, flying becomes inaccurate and plus or minus 200 feet from circuit height becomes the norm.
We see some pilots getting quite irritated with themselves with their inability to fly a circuit, and can't wait to plug in the FD and AT and hdg mode. Other types enjoy the opportunity to increase their pure flying skills and cannot wait for a friendly instructor to say "feel like a few touch and go circuits?" Horses for courses as the saying goes.