Kirby doesn't really have much of a combo game to be honest. I don't know how much he's been buffed from the transition to P:M from melee, but I assume he's much better. Although I can't see kirby having any kind of offensive game at all, really.
If you want a kirby-esque character that puts up a better fight, go for Meta Knight. If you want to experiment with link, that's totally cool, but I think MK is right up your alley. He has tons of tools to deal with fast characters, and has a decent amount of speed himself. Plus his combo game is horrifyingly absurd. Check him out and see what you think. I tinker with Meta Knight from time to time. I'm not very good with him but I can definitely say he's quite dangerous if you take the time to learn him.