Get File Owner of a UNC file when run on a Windows 2000 Server

I have the need to be able to retrieve the file owner from a host of files that live throughout our network.  We are provided the UNC names and need to return the file owner.  I can get this working on my workstation, although its very slow, using a mapped drive but not with a unc name.  As a last resort the mapped drive is OK.  The problem is that I need to run this from a server (windows 2000 Server) and that even using a mapped drive, no owner is returned.  

Question is 1) How can I get the file owner from a unc filename, and 2) how can I get it to run on the server?

The code is:

imports system.management

    Public Function GetFileOwner(ByVal strFile As String) As String
        Dim oManagementObject As New ManagementObject("Win32_LogicalFileSecuritySetting.path='" & strFile & "'")
        Dim oManagementBaseObject As ManagementBaseObject
        'oManagementObject.Path = ""
        Dim oDescriptor As ManagementBaseObject
        Dim oOwner As ManagementBaseObject
        Dim Owner As PropertyDataCollection
        Dim strOwner As String
        Try
            'Get the security descriptor for this object
            oManagementBaseObject = oManagementObject.InvokeMethod("GetSecurityDescriptor", Nothing, Nothing)
            oDescriptor = oManagementBaseObject.Properties("Descriptor").Value()
            'Get the Ownerobject
            oOwner = oDescriptor.Properties("Owner").Value
            'Read the Properties to a Propertydatacollection Object
            Owner = oOwner.Properties
            strOwner = Owner("Name").Value
        Catch e As Exception
            MsgBox(e.Message)
            ' Problem getting information
            strOwner = ""
        End Try
        Return (strOwner)
    End Function