About the colors (I agree with you, I prefer black & white myself, for the same reasons)
Go to Settings. Click on Five In Line. There, you'll see two rows, first small, the one under is bigger. Each row has two choices, it's hard to see but possible. First circle is a click box, then the two 'stones' (x & o), then another circle, white dot and black dot. So, you click in the FOURTH thingy.. LOL Does that make sense? ;)