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As an American, the way Norwegians party is somewhat different than what we're used to.  While in America, you might just go to a club (or two or three) for the whole night, it's quite a bit different over here.

Remember that alcohol is much more expensive in Norway.  This means that while Oslo isn't a huge city, the prices of alcohol at bars and clubs are on the high side.  --You can easily pay between $7-$10 for a beer, and $13 or more for a mixed drink.  Partying in Oslo is a bit different because of this.  Typically you start your drinking at someone's house or apartment, and you'll probably be buzzed or more by the time you leave - often around midnight - to go to a club.  The clubs are open until 3am (that's when they're required to stop serving alcohol, and although I don't think they have to close then, they probably figure there's no point to stay open if they're not making money).  After that, you may go to an after-party (I'll have to get the spelling for the Norwegian terms).  The after party is much more subdued since people try to be polite to those living around them who may not be up as late, but can last until it's daylight.

When you get invited to a party, there are a couple of main things to remember.  First, bring alcohol - whether you prefer beer, wine, or something else, bring your own drinks.  Even though it's cheaper to buy beer in the grocery stores or wine & sprirts at the Vinmonopolet, it's still not cheap.  --A six pack of beer (3 liters) such as Tuborg, Hansa, or the other brands will still cost you between 100 and 200 Kroners (approximatly $15-$30), so you can imagine how much the booze for 15 people would end up costing if one person had to buy it.  If you do forget the first time, you'll probably be ok since you'll have the foreigner thing going for you, and nobody will say anything, but I doubt you want to make the same mistake twice.  The second thing to remember is that everyone takes off their shoes at the door.  Especially in the winter when it can be rather messy out, you don't want to be tracking mud all over the floor.

I doubt you'll have much trouble finding people to talk to at a party - people are all very polite, although occasionally you'll find people who are embarassed to speak much English (unlike the typical Norwegian who loves to practice), but overall people love to find out more about you.  Also, score bonus points by asking them to help you with pronunciation or to teach you a new word or phrase.  :)

I've mentioned it before, but it can be rather difficult to meet people in Norway.  While people at work are friendly, work and after work are very different, and coworkers rarely seem to go out together for drinks or anything else.  In America especially, but also in many other places, if you go to a bar by yourself, you can probably still find people to talk to.  In Norway?  Not so much.

So how do you meet people?  I'm still trying to find out, but I do have some advice that I have come up with or received from others:

• Use opportunities at work.  As I mentioned above, it's fairly rare that coworkers go out together after work in Norway, but it does happen, and when it does, take advantage of it.  Just know that Norwegians can really put away their alcohol!  Also, depending on where you work, you might find people who get together to play sports.  Where I work, for example, there's a small group of people that play floor hockey every week.  It's a friendly game where the teams are chosen pretty much randomly every time, and it's a nice way to get exercise while interacting with people outside of work.
• Online groups can be helpful.  I just found out about the New to Oslo Yahoo group and attended a gathering on Friday night.  The folks at this meeting were mostly American, but included people from Spain, France, and a couple of other countries as well, and they've all been through this or are going through it, so it's nice to have people who can sympathize with you.  There is also an American's in Norway group on Facebook, which has some traffic even if it isn't a hive of activity.
• Here's some advice I've received: if you do start meeting Norwegians, don't tell them you don't know how long you're staying or that you don't know.  Let them assume you plan on being here more or less permanently, otherwise they don't seem to be as likely to take the time to get to know you or consider you a friend.
• Learn Norsk!  This takes time, of course, but it's worth it to try.  For one thing, it's a matter of respect.  --Norwegian is their native language, and even though they may speak English very well, you should at least be willing to try and learn it if you're going to live here.  But I also think it's related to the point above.  --It shows you're serious about living here.

If all else fails, you can still try and talk to random people, just don't be surprised if they look at you like you're crazy.