Iwelumo started in the Magpies attack against Swindon on Saturday alongside Francois Zoko, less than 48 hours after moving to Meadow Lane on loan from Watford.
The 34-year-old set up Alan Judge to score the winning goal and was only denied getting his name on the scoresheet by a superb save from Town goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.
"He did what he does best," said Curle after his side's 1-0 victory. "He was the focal point of our attack, a platform for other people to play off. He gave us a new dimension as well.
"He played a big part in the goal, by winning the first ball. It dropped to Alan Judge and it was a fantastic finish. He also came very close to scoring, it was a great save from their goalkeeper.
"We might have just found another piece of the jigsaw in our quest to be successful this season."
