I don't think it does force shorts to cover. The only thing that would is a cash dividend, because the shorts would also have to pay out the divy when they cover. This seems to me like an urban legend of penny land, often repeated on many boards. If it were true, people could give a decent list of stocks this has happened to, since name changes happen frequently, and most pink stocks have the same issues or concerns going on in varying degrees.
That having been said, I'd still guess the stock will go up short term, consolidate at a higher level. Long term - giddyup!
Jason’s Words To Live By: “Persistence always beats Resistance”