You may want to try installing the original gameport driver for that soundcard. The drivers should be downloadable from creative. If that is what you have got then try using the microsoft standard joystick port driver or re-installing it from scratch.
Fail that, it might be worth getting a better quality SC or dedicated gameport card, but i dont know anyone that uses one. I got a Diamond monster sound II (MX-300) and thats really good. Or even USB (if ya got money to burn).