Since the fourth grade, around 11 years of age, Hryhorchuk was interested in handball and competed for local village team at district level.

[1] For two years he never missed a training session and later had a chance to enroll in the Kyiv sports boarding school, but his mother was against it.

Eventually Hryhorchuk graduated from Chernivtsi music school and had an opportunity to enroll in a conservatory but decided to concentrate on football career.

Following his obligatory service in the Soviet Armed Forces, he started playing for Silmash Kolomyia at amateur level in KFK competitions, until he received an invitation to Prykarpattya Ivano-Frankivsk.

During the 1992–93 Persha Liha season, Hryhorchuk was one of the top league scorers and scored his first career hat-trick in a home win against Avtomobilist Sumy.

[11] Roman Hryhorchuk was the first Gabala coach in the club's history to lead the team to group stages of UEFA Europa League two consecutive seasons.

[13] In his first year, Hryhorchuk took Astana to group stage of Europa League where they competed with Dynamo Kyiv, Rennes and Jablonec.

In his second season in charge, Astana again reached the group stages of Europa League, where they achieved a 2–1 home win over Manchester United.