The answers are right, and so is the information you read about positive and negative meanings. The key here is the word 'semantically' - the question of whether it's a good or bad thing in the real world is irrelevant.
The word 'few' is negative semantically in that it means NOT MANY. Obviously, having 'few friends' ( not many friends) is a bad thing, while having 'few problems' (not many problems) is a good thing.
The phrase 'a few' is positive semantically in that it means SOME ( i.e. not zero). So, while it is good to have 'a few friends' (as opposed to no friends), it is bad to have 'a few problems' (as opposed to no problems).
I hope that makes sense.