$title = "";

if ($option == "com_content") {

  if ($view == "article") {

       $my_id = $db->Quote( $db->getEscaped( (int)$id ) );

       $query = "SELECT  cat.title "

       . " FROM #__categories cat, #__content a  WHERE a.catid = cat.id"

       . " and a.id = $my_id AND a.state = 1";

   $db->setQuery( $query, 0, 1 );

   $row = $db->loadObject();

   if ($row != null) $title = $row->title;

  }

  if ($view == "category") {

       $my_id = $db->Quote( $db->getEscaped( (int)$id ) );

       $query = "SELECT cat.title "

       . " FROM #__categories cat WHERE "

       . " cat.id = $my_id";

   $db->setQuery( $query, 0, 1 );

   $row = $db->loadObject();

   if ($row != null) $title = $row->title;

  }

}

if ($title != "") echo "<h3>$title</h3>";

/* (or whatever you want to do with the title) */