How do I take good portraits with a bridge camera and superzoom?

I’m an absolute beginner with regards to photography.

I did some research on portrait photography today.

From what I learned, a long-telephoto lens (70mm-135mm or more focal length (35mm equivalent)) is best suited for shooting portraits while a wide-angle lens with focal length of 25mm or less (for 35mm equivalent) is ideal for capturing landscapes and makes portrait subjects look unflattering (big noses, distorted features, etc.)
(Explained here: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-lenses.htm )

Because of ease of use and great reviews, I tried taking my portraits with my new Samsung WB1100F (35x Zoom) camera and they didn’t turn out to be great.

Although, the lens says “25mm Wide Angle” lens, the specifications ( http://www.adorama.com/ISGWB1100FB.html#specs ) of the camera also say:

Focal Length:
EFL: 4.5-157.5 mm (35 mm equivalent: 25-875 mm)
Aperture: f/3.0 (W) – 5.9 (T)

If you pay attention to the 35mm eq. focal length:

1. Isn’t the range abnormally large? 25mm – 875mm?!

2. If so, why are portraits taken with this wide angle lens NOT so flattering, despite the fact it’s focal range covers 70mm, 135mm (ideal for portraits) ?

3. And if applicable, what’s the best way to take portraits with this Wide Angle lens? Would placing the camera further from the subject and then zooming in (supports up to 35x zoom) help at all?

Thank you.