I found stubborn needles come off best if you put a flathead screwdriver under them (between the needle base and guage face, in a parallel fashion) Then, twist the screwdriver 90deg to gently force it upward.
Easier than using your fingers or anything, thats just putting a lot of squeezing force on a delicate part. This method pushes the needles in the direction they need to go - up
Takes mere seconds, very little risk of damaging anything, and makes it surprisingly easy. Let us know how it goes.