Devastator Squad
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Devastator Squad is the Codex Astartes designation for a Space Marine squad of heavy weapon specialists. The Devastators' purpose can be put in simple terms: blow shit up. If something needs more than a bolter to crack, the commanding battle-brother will call in his Devastators to crack it. Devastators can kill fortifications and armored vehicles with lascannons, plasma cannons, and multi-meltas and lay waste to infantry with heavy bolters, heavy flamers, and missile launchers.
A Codex-compliant chapter maintains two Devastator squads in each battle company and a reserve company of Devastators, which wears the company color blue. According to the Codex's writings, a scout will be assigned to a Devastator squad after receiving the Black Carapace implant. In the process of becoming a full battle-brother, he will learn how to control his power armor while he serves as an assistant gunner. In time, he will be permitted to handle the heavy weapons himself, learning their strengths and weaknesses as he gains combat experience.
Chapters that pay less homage to the Codex organize their heavy weapon brothers differently. Among the Space Wolves, the heavy weapons are the responsibility of units called "Long Fangs." They are veterans of centuries of warfare, with ash-grey hair and enormous canine teeth, who have enough skill and experience to know when and where the firepower of their Chapter's irreplaceable relics will be needed. The Blood Angels promote their scouts into Assault Squads first and then into the Devastators once the battle-brothers have worked out their aggression. Blood Angels Devastators must have control over their Red Thirst, lest they throw down their weapons and charge their foes. The Black Templars specialize in mobility and armored assaults and therefore have no formal Devastators in their ranks, instead handing the duties to the initiates and neophytes. The otherwise Codex-compliant Star Phantoms maintain an extra Devastator squad in each company over a sixth tactical squad. This is partially because they suffer such high losses in campaigns and therefore keep extra newbs, and partially because they're team-killing fucktards that like to blow shit up.
On the Tabletop
A Devastator squad is a unit of four tactical marines with heavy weapons (much like the options available to tactical squads), and a single Sergeant, who likes to pose in the light from all the explosions his squad are bound to make in his wake. They start out with four heavy bolters, and can then be further upgraded from there.
The standard heavy bolter is by no means a bad choice, just a limited one. 3 S 5 AP 4 hits per model isn't so bad, but it's not really all that great against hordes as it might seem like it should be and is certainly lackluster against tanks, though some lighter machines might feel the pain eventually. They are also marginally more powerful with the Imperial Fists Chapter Tactics.
One of the most used choices are the lascannon laser squad of pew-pew. It won't kill any tank in one hit, but it can bang them up severely, especially if you have several teams lighting up one tank. With S 9, AP 2, and a range from hell, it's essentially a sniper team with really, really big laser rifles. If you see a squad of three Crisis Suits, feel free to heap the pain on them, too.
Two lower points of S but with a small blast template and Gets Hot, the plasma cannon is a weapon that sorely needs a role to fulfill that can't be handled by the lascannon, which does more damage, is more accurate, and doesn't blow the hell up. If you encounter Termies or similar played by a player who for some reason doesn't space his units out, feel free to plow the fucker off the table.
Then there's the multi-melta... Eh. Heavy 1 24" is very annoying and very hard to use. Melta is really better in drop pods or other fast delivery methods, not on slow-ass marines. Their utility is increased significantly if you run a Salamanders army with Vulkan He'Stan, as the Master Crafted special rule means you even have a decent chance to hit when firing snap shots. You can alternatively use them as a deterrent unit to keep an armored column the fuck outta dodge.
Last but not least is the good ol' missile launcher. Sporting frag and krak missiles, it can put a dent in light vehicles and hordes alike, though it doesn't shine in either role (due to AP3, you won't blow up vehicles, and AP5 isn't too great), but it has the advantage of being versatile. For the price of two meltabombs, it can be equipped with flak missiles, though they aren't a very good choice.