As for Ground Instructors/IGIs doing sims, I remember that early in my career too (apparently per a 1980 letter from the FAA), but not anymore: see Pilipshen's post here:
http://www.pprune.org/north-america/...nstructor.html
A scan of the original letter is here:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...010/Gatlin.pdf
Interestingly Mr. Gatling (the addressee of the 2010 FAA letter) has a website as a Ground Instructor and advertises that he does simulator work...maybe it's an old site.