Binomial sum modulo prime power: Part 2

Let $p$ be a prime number and $\omega=\exp(2\pi i/p)$. Recall that we conjectured in this post that

$(*)\qquad\qquad\qquad\displaystyle\sum_{j=0}^{p-1}(1-\omega^j)^n=p\sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor n/p\rfloor}(-1)^{kp}\binom{n}{kp}$

is divisible by $p^{\lceil n/(p-1)\rceil}$. From exercise 2 of this post we know that $(p)$ factors as $(p,\omega-1)^{p-1}$ into prime ideals in the ring $\mathbb Z[\omega]$. So $(\omega-1)^{p-1}\in (p)$. Therefore the right-hand side of $(*)$ is divisible by $p^{\lfloor n/(p-1)\rfloor}$. So we are off by at most one factor of $p$! I believe this approach can be improved upon to account for the extra factor, since we haven’t used any property of the sum.

Furthermore,

$\displaystyle\sum_{j=0}^{p-1}\omega^{-rj}(1-\omega^j)^n=p\sum_{m\equiv r\pmod p}(-1)^m\binom{n}{m}$

for any $r$. So our best result thus far is the following:

Theorem (weaker version of Fleck’s).

$\displaystyle\sum_{m\equiv r\pmod p}(-1)^m\binom{n}{m}\equiv 0\pmod{p^{\lfloor\frac{n}{p-1}\rfloor-1}}$.

Goal: Improve the floors to ceilings.