Thanks'd.
Part 2 of my modding adventures: swapped out the blue LEDs for white ones. First checked voltage supplied to the LEDs from the PCB were 3V (I bought LEDs that took 3-3.4V), and read 2.91 on my multimeter. Then desoldered, resoldered, and hot glued it all. Here are the best photos I can take with the equipment available to me (a P&S and a Blackberry):
Very hard to see but there's a greyish white glow now up top.