teehjaeh57 -
It's funny, but I asked similar questions here on the board some time back as I was planning my windbreak and specimen plantings around the pond. A quick search would probably produce that thread. Since posting my own questions, I've hopped into researching trees in a big way, so hopefully I can help you out a little.
I'm in Zone 5 and I'm planting a rather large windbreak this year that is based around Eastern White Pines (Pinus strobus). They are perfectly fine for zone 5, but they are really thick in more northern climes. They are pretty common in your home state of Nebraska (tons of them on I80 between Lincoln and Omaha), so they'd probably work nicely for you also. They are also hardy and fairly disease resistant. I'm also planting a few Red Pines (Pinus resinosa) around the property. They too are a northern variety, but they also will do pretty well in zone 5.
If you are a fan of Austrian Pine (Pinus nigro), they could work fine for you. They are well suited for your area, but they are moderately susceptible to Zimmerman pine moths, very susceptible to Sphaeropsis (Diplodia) blight and Dothistroma needle blight. Austrian Pine is a popular choice for christmas tree plantings in our zone.
Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) is a good native choice (native is good) for you. Since it is native to almost all of Nebraska it is obviously well adapted to your area. It's very drought tolerant. It does, however, share the same disease and insect susceptibility as Austrian Pine. However, due to its drought tolerance, these issues are less likely (in my opinion). I think it would be a good choice for your area.
Like you said, Scotch Pine is a host to a number of insect and disease problems, and probably best avoided. I like the look of them a lot, but they just come with too much baggage.
Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens) is a very good, dense windbreak tree also (not a pine but a good pine "look"), though it has a slower growth rate than many other windbreak selections. The seedlings are pretty fragile for the first few years, but once they take off they are pretty hardy. Spider mites can cause some issues, particularly in young seedlings. Rhizosphaera can cause issues if the trees often have wet feet.
Eastern Redcedar (Juniper virginiana, Linn.) is also a good native choice, though not incredibly attractive sometimes. We call it redcedar, but as the scientific name implies, it's actually a juniper (common name confusion is not just specific to fish...hehe). It has its own disease and insect issues, but I've never encountered problems with them in my own plantings. Others will beg to disagree however.
Another very worthy consideration is Jack Pine(Pinus banksiana), but they do develop a somewhat "beat up" look to them as they grow. Some people like that, some don't. They are very disease resistant but pine tip moths can sometimes be a problem. There are a lot of Jack Pines on I80 between Omaha and Lincoln that have developed quite an interesting shape due to winds. Of course there are a ton of White Pines in this same stretch with similar "interesting" shapes.
Hope this helps a little.