Trials falling damage + armor damage

Hi lads, this is my first time trying hard con weekly trials. I suppose not, but I wanted to ask if the damage a Rocketeer takes when falling increases my trial score. I also wanted to ask how armor damage works. Is it a damage reduction, so I do less damage overall, or do I still do damage but the armor absorbs it? In that case, is it worth shooting at the armor of the Arcs instead of their vulnerable areas? Thanks for reading.