Replying to my own thread here ...
Today I upgraded my RAM. After opening up my server I discovered one of the 2 x 8 GB DIMMs was in the wrong slot for processor 2! Maybe this was the cause of my slow benchmark speeds. I removed both DIMMs and installed a whopping 8 x 16 GB follwing the HPE Memory Configuration tool and the guide on the inside of the removable case cover. Now my Geekbench scores are really, really fast! Single core speeds stayed about the same, clocking in at 492 this time ... but multiple core speeds jumped from 4254 to a whopping 6343!
I like it!! I like it!! I like itt!
Now I just need a little bit of clarification on the E5-2697 V2 upgrade and then I should have the performance I crave here.