3400 V6 engine noise

['03 Grand-Am GT]

Hey guys, I've heard alot about the famous ''piston slap'' noise on these engines lasting a few minutes during engine warm up and mine is no exception wich I can totally live with and completely dissappears when engine is fully warmed up and just purrs like a kitten. My concern right now is that when the engine has been running a certain amount of time, at around 2300-2800 rpms, when accelerating, I noticed some sort of a clicking or knocking sound that seems to dissappear above or below that rpm range. I've noticed that noise about 6 months ago. The oil was at operating level. Changed at every 3000 miles with filter. No oil light coming on. Engine still has its initial power when putting the hammer down, no hesitation. I was thinking maybe a hydraulic lifter or two or loose rocker arm(s). Any suggestions you guys may have I'm all ears. Thanks in advance
The car is '03 Grand-Am GT with 90k miles

 

[melsg5]

Do you have a check engine light on? Are you sure the noise isnt ignition ping/knock? Do you always get gas at the same station and if so try a different station to see if it has any effect. If you slowly raise the engine speed to 2,500 in park/neutral do you hear the noise?

 

['03 Grand-Am GT]

I've tried slowly reving it up to 2500rpms in park-neutral and everything sounded normal to me. As for gas, I always use 87 octane and there are 4 gas stations I go to depending on where I am.

 

[melsg5]

Try 89 octane and see if it has any effect on the noise. Do you have a check engine light on?

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['03 Grand-Am GT]

Thanks for the tip. I will try it. As for the ''Check engine'' light, it did not come on nor did the oil light and as I mentionned earlier, engine performance is not affected. It just basically sounds like a tapping noise as if there was not enough oil pressure at around that rpm range and its when the engine is at normal operating temp when driven a couple of hours at highway speed 60-65 mph. When I need to slow down and then pick it up and hit the 2200-2800 rpm, thats when the noise occurs.