The front brake should not be connected through the gyro. (rotor/detangler/whatever) The front brake cable should be running uninterrupted through the steer tube, coming out either the bottom of the crown, or through an opening in the right hand fork blade. I'd check the toe angle on the shoes. Might want to make sure it doesn't have one of those ridiculous modulators anywhere in line on the brake cable. If it does, remove it. The whole point of those is to reduce the amount power in the brake.

If all else fails, Coolstop salmon brake shoes should prove grippier than the stock shoes. Just stay away from clear BMX brake shoes. They're designed for painted rims, and offer no modulation on bare or anodized aluminum. Not something you want on the front wheel.