Dealing with them now

I am in the middle of dealing with these "people". I received the initial collection letter several weeks ago. I sent a letter back requesting they validate the debt and also asked for the name and address of the original creditor. I got a standard reply stating an amount that was owed and signed by the secretary. I did not respond to that and soon got my summons via the sheriff. I went to the courthouse and filed my answer basically affirming my name and address and denying everything else. I had been waiting to hear when my court date was and yesterday I got a letter from "those people" saying that they had received my answer and that I should contact them to explore payment arrangements. I also got a seperate envelope with papers they had typed but had no filing stamps on them. They were a request for admission of facts, request for production of documents and notice to produce to defendant, plaintiff's first interrogatores to defendant, and certificate of service. Do I have to answer those or can I just wait until there is a court date? If I need to respond, how should I go about doing that? Thanks.